[Overview]
<p>Murkrow has always been outclassed in previous generations; however, in this generation, the black bird was given some buffs, namely Prankster and Eviolite. Eviolite greatly boosts Murkrow's lackluster 60 / 42 / 42 defenses into something much more manageable. With Prankster, Murkrow has access to priority Taunt, FeatherDance, Roost, Thunder Wave, and Perish Song, making the little crow an ideal stallbreaker. However, Murkrow is definitely not without its flaws, as even with Eviolite, its defenses are still subpar. Its typing is also not the best defensively speaking, as it leaves it weak to many common attacking types and neutral to Fighting-type moves. However, Murkrow is definitely the Pokemon to use, should you ever be in need of a stallbreaker.</p>
[SET]
name: Perish Trapper
move 1: Mean Look
move 2: Perish Song
move 3: Roost
move 4: Protect / Substitute
item: Eviolite
ability: Prankster
nature: Bold
evs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Murkrow fills the niche of being the only Prankster Pokemon that is able to Perish Trap. The strategy of this set is to trap one of your opponent's Pokemon, preferably a wall that your team has trouble with, and proceed to Perish Song, causing them to faint in three turns. Roost is essential, as Murkrow needs to be alive in order for Mean Look to remain in effect and prevent your opponent from switching out. The fourth moveslot is essentially a toss-up between Protect and Substitute. Protect is a guaranteed way to burn off a turn, making it the more reliable choice; however, Substitute keeps Murkrow status free, which allows it to possibly come in late-game and Perish Trap another Pokemon into oblivion.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>You can choose to make Murkrow either physically or specially bulky, since its defenses are the same. Investing in Murkrow's physical defenses tends to be the more popular option, but a 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD EV spread with a Calm nature is viable. A specially defensive spread allows Murkrow to reliably check Choice Specs Exeggutor, something not a lot of other Pokemon can claim. The nature should always be an attack-reducing nature in order to minimize possible confusion recoil. Taunt or FeatherDance are options for the fourth moveslot, but they are more often than not the inferior option. The main draw to using Perish Trap Murkrow is its ability to reliably eliminate a wall from the opponent's team, so including a Pokemon that can sweep once a problem wall is gone would be a good idea. An example of a good teammate would be Swellow who can sweep once the opponent's physical wall is KOed. Murkrow is easily capable of trapping and KOing Probopass, Metang, Alomomola, and Bastiodon, opening a sweep for Swellow.</p>
[SET]
name: FeatherDance
move 1: FeatherDance
move 2: Roost
move 3: Brave Bird
move 4: Taunt / Substitute
item: Eviolite
nature: Impish
evs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With Eviolite and priority FeatherDance, Murkrow is capable of being a fairly decent physical wall, capable of shutting down some scary threats such as Sawk. FeatherDance lowers the opponent's attack by two stages, which easily patches up Murkrow's lackluster base 42 Defense. Roost is there to make sure that Murkrow is in good health, as it can't take too many hits even with FeatherDance. Taunt is there in order to shut down Pokemon who utilize set-up moves, such as Cacturne and Tangela, while Brave Bird prevents Murkrow itself from being Taunt bait. Substitute is a viable alternative over Taunt, as it helps Murkrow scout the opponent's moveset and easily prevents any status effects.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EV spread is designed to make Murkrow as physically bulky as possible, which works great in tandem with FeatherDance. 248 HP EVs gives Murkrow an odd HP number so it can switch into Stealth Rock four times. Murkrow users still need to be wary of switching into physical attackers, as a strong super effective hit will really put a dent in Murkrow, even with Eviolite, due to its poor defenses.</p>
<p>In terms of other options for this set, Thunder Wave can be used over Taunt in order to cripple Gorebyss if it finds a way to set up. However, a Murkrow that lacks Taunt is basically set-up fodder for Spikes users such as Cacturne, so Taunt is usually the better option.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Murkrow has access to a ton of support moves. Confuse Ray is an interesting choice, as it prevents your opponent from attacking 50% of the time. Murkrow also has access to Haze, which can make Murkrow a good phazer. However, the most deadly set-up sweeper in the tier at the moment is Gorebyss, and Murkrow doesn't enjoy taking even a neutral hit from it. Murkrow can also function as a weather inducer, but as Murkrow is unable to utilize Damp or Heat Rock while holding Eviolite, it is usually outclassed. Finally, Tailwind or Thunder Wave can be used for team support, the latter being a good way to cripple Gorebyss if it manages to get off a Shell Smash.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>While Murkrow is a decent wall, it isn't very hard to muscle your way through it. Any Pokemon with a powerful super effective move, especially a special one, has a good chance of beating Murkrow. Pokemon such as Eelektross, Rotom-F, and Beartic all stand a good chance of beating Murkrow, as Murkrow really can't switch in on any of these Pokemon. For the Perish Trapping set, any Pokemon with Volt Switch or U-turn will end Murkrow's games very quickly, as both avoid the effects of Mean Look. Finally, Taunt will completely ruin Murkrow. If you can Taunt Murkrow as it switches in, then you are almost guaranteed to have rendered Murkrow useless.</p>